Sports news and views

Thursday

Oct 18, 2012 at 11:26 AMOct 18, 2012 at 11:28 AM

One last go-around for sports news and views...

Steve SellSports Editor

One last go-around for sports news and views...
News — McPherson High appears headed for a district football championship barring an upset.
Views — And that would net the Bullpups a home playoff game on Tuesday, Oct. 30. The Bullpups would play a second-place district finisher. MHS struggled somewhat with Smoky Valley last week, as the Vikings played with a lot of spirit and energy. But once MHS figured out the Vikings’ option game, it dominated. Abilene and Chapman aren’t expected to give the Bullpups a big push in these final two games, but MHS coach Tom Young wants his team to get better each game, since there are some quality opponents down the line.
News —McPherson College’s Bulldogs go from first to fourth place in the KCAC after losing 38-14 to Ottawa.
Views — This one was a head scratcher. Mac piled up nearly 500 yards of total offense and dominated the time of possession. But those four ugly turnovers were huge and the Bulldogs again struggled in the red zone, which has been their problem area all year. If this team could just finish drives, it would be 5-1 and probably ranked in the top 15 in the country. Now the Bulldogs have their second open date in three weeks, which makes it hard to get any continuity. All that’s left are Saint Mary, Kansas Wesleyan and Sterling, all winnable games. Coach Pete Sterbick said the goal is 6-3, which would give it momentum heading into next season.
News — McPherson High’s volleyball team is ranked No. 1 and the soccer team No. 3 in their most recent polls.
Views — It’s all on the line for the volleyball team this weekend. MHS will get a stiff challenge from either Wamego or Abilene. Wamego, which is best known for producing former McPherson College basketball coach and current Canton-Galva AD Roger Trimmell, will have a homecourt advantage if it meets MHS, while Abilene always has a strong tradition. The Bullpups wouldn’t expect anything less than a formidable challenge, which is why they played in the Newton and Ottawa tournaments, to play the very best competition they can find. The soccer team is at Hutchinson today in a game that should fuel its juices, then comes postseason play next week. We’ll be shocked if this team doesn’t make a deep, deep run into the playoffs, as it has all the tools of a champion.
News — The Kansas City Chiefs continue their quest for the No. 1 overall draft pick next April.
Views — How did this happen? How did this team totally come apart at the seams? Except for the huge comeback against New Orleans, the Chiefs haven’t been remotely competitive. They haven’t even led in a game this year, which has to be some type of NFL record. The worst thing that happened last season was the Chiefs handing Green Bay its only regular-season loss, as that’s what assured Romeo Crennel’s job. It’s time for the penny-pinching Chiefs to throw a wad of coin at Bill Cowher, luring him off the TV set. They need this kind of forceful presence to give this team a jolt.
News — Kansas State is ranked No. 4 in the first BCS poll.
Views — And, of course, it takes that shiny new ranking into Morgantown to play explosive West Virginia on Saturday in what is the game of the week in college football. The Wildcats are the more solid team, the Mountaineers the more spectacular. Kansas State’s defense will be put to the test, but how will West Virginia ever stop the running of Collin Klein and John Hubert? We look for the Wildcats in a squeaker.